Kenny Moore II, a nine-year veteran, didn't want to be with the Indianapolis Colts anymore. That much is clear. What isn't clear is exactly why he suddenly wanted to go so badly.
He first requested a trade this past offseason, but the nearly 31-year-old, who offers no positional flexibility other than being a slot cornerback, likely wouldn't have a large market. No suitors were found, so Moore eventually asked for his outright release, and the team granted his wish.
But why, after nearly a decade with the team, did he want to leave? He has said he wanted to go to a team where he was a better fit and had a chance of winning a championship. To be fair, in defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo's scheme, he did see the field a lot less in 2025 than in previous seasons. That wasn't going to change in 2026.
Kenny Moore once again tries to explain why he wanted to leave the Indianapolis Colts
To make matters stranger, he posted a TikTok video that was tweeted by The Athletic's James Boyd, in which Moore suggests he was all in on helping Indy win games, but then, two months into the offseason, he changed his mind. What happened between the end of the season and two months later? Fans might rightfully be trying to figure that out.
Moore said, "Towards the end of the season, I didn't know that I wanted a reset. I didn't know that I wanted to be in a different jersey. In the season, I was completely bought in to the (Colts) journey...A couple of months into the offseason, I started having serious conversations about exactly what I wanted. To continue playing, I gotta feel my best."
It is one thing to leave a team that a player has been with for two years or so. To go from being "bought in" to completely wanting out after nine years is odd. One might assume a single moment, or two, started the process for Moore to change how he felt about the organization.
He is also somewhat limited in what he can say. He can't trash the Indianapolis Colts, and he might not want to, but he can't appear to be doing so either. Kenny Moore still wants to play with some team, and disrespecting the only one he ever played for would be a bad look.
Moore has been a solid nickelback, and a very good one at times. He probably wasn't going to be re-signed next offseason due to his age, and Indy had a built-in replacement for him already on the roster in the person of Justin Walley.
The risk for Moore is that he asked to be released, therefore giving up any money he might have earned from Indianapolis in 2026. According to Over the Cap, his guaranteed money was $3,240,000. That's a chunk of change to give up, implying the cornerback was extremely unhappy with the Colts.
But now he might not get paid by an NFL team again. He is old for a cornerback. If he does find a new team, he almost certainly won't get close to $3 million in the coming season. But hopefully, he is happier. He wanted to be out of Indianapolis, and he is now.
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